TRANSITION STORY: @LocsOfLove_ Goes From Relaxed To Loc’D

Why did you decide to go natural?Asia: I was at my friend’s house, watching her blow dry her 3 year old daughter’s hair and she was having a fit! Joyce (the daughter) was crying that she wanted hair like this *motions straight down her face* and I was so lost. I said what? And Joyce says like the lady on the detangler hair spray bottle. I was still confused and her mom says “she wants a perm.” I was horrified! Why did my beautiful 3 year old baby want a perm when she and her hair was gorgeous. At that point, I hadn’t had a perm for 3 months and that moment I decided I wasn’t perming my hair anymore. How could I tell her that her hair was beautiful and say she doesn’t need a perm but perm my hair? Her mom and her aunt (also my friend) didn’t think I would last, more than 2 years later, I haven’t seen a perm!

How long have you been natural & is it what you expected?Asia: 3 years and 7 months! Hell no! I thought it would be more manageable, cheaper, less time consuming, and I would be as gorgeous as Lisa Bonet. Being natural takes time, takes effort, commitment, money (unfortunately, these products ain’t cheap), and there’s days when I look a hot mess but there’s more when I’m as gorgeous as Zoe Kravitz, not quite Lisa Bonet but I’ll settle for her child. 🙂

What stage are you at in your natural hair journey? ((twa fro etc.))Asia: Well, I’m locked so my stage doesn’t fall into a fro place. My loctician says I have adolescent locks lol I’ll take it! I honestly wasn’t great at caring for my natural hair, I have no patience or skill but I’m better with locks.

What texture is your hair?Asia: I’m nappy but I’m happy! My hair texture is different in different parts of my head. The back of my hair is rough! Maybe it’s cause I sweat more back there, I’m not sure but it locks much better (nappy hair locks beautifully!). The front of my hair is thin and much easier to manage, I also show it more love cause its more noticeable, it unravels quickly when I twist it so I load it with gel.

How did you transition? ((big chop, protective styling etc.))Asia: Protective styling all the way! I had a weave once or twice but I havd Senegalese twists a bunch of times! They’re beautiful, a lil expensive but so worth it, and they last long, and look good for every occasion. I wasn’t brave enough for a chop, I honestly didn’t feel pretty enough. I cut most of the perm when I locked in January 2012. I started with two strand twists and since I was hesitant, my loctician left my permed ends on and cut it off slowly as my hair grew. I only had about 1-3 inches of natural hair throughout my hair, after a year! Holding onto the perm did me more harm than good, cause my hair was breaking where the perm and natural hair met and in turn I lost a lot of hair in 2011.

Did you consider your career when you decided how to transition?Asia: I didnt consider natural hair, like a fro but i did consider locks. I knew i was gonna lock my hair. I remember hearing The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill when i was 8 or 9 and Lauryn was my hero! I wanted locks ever since, I even asked my mom but she said i was too young to manage it, at 22 i did it. Joyce’s aunt, my friend Laurel actually told me that it would be difficult in corporate America because of the stigma behind locks but she knows me so she knew I wasn’t letting that stop me.

How did people at your job react when they noticed you were natural or was transitioning?Asia: I really don’t remember how they reacted, maybe I didn’t care. I was working full time and in school full time, I didn’t have time to care.

What were the funniest comments you received @ work about your natural hair?

Asia: When I first locked, my Korean partner said “you’re gonna get fired, you look unkept”. At my current job, a guy asked me “how do you clean your hair?” Lol I don’t mind, people are ignorant to locks. As long as a statement or question, isn’t intended to be offensive, I don’t mind. I like to educate people on our hair.

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